Making Things Right
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: When Barry and Nora travel to the past, Nora sees a chance to save someone her dad couldn't, a few years before. Someone who shouldn't have died. She decides to make things right and save him herself. A theory for the 100th episode, turned AU.
1. Chapter 1

"Who's that?" Nora whispered.

Barry leaned a little closer, trying to get as close to the open doorway as possible without making a sound. He shifted back against the wall slightly at the familiar voice, his shoulders dipping almost involuntarily. "Ronnie Raymond."

Barry and Nora had been going back in time, first visiting Team Flash's fight with Savitar, then with Zoom. Now, they were eavesdropping on the hunt for Reverse-Flash.

"That name's familiar," Nora said, searching his face. "Is he the… oh, wait."

"He was the first Firestorm, with Professor Stein," Barry said quietly, his mouth suddenly dry. "He died stopping the Singularity."

"That's a few days from this point, isn't it?"

Barry listened to the conversation for a second before nodding. "Yeah. Thawne's gonna give past me the chance to save my mom soon. When I don't end up doing it, the Singularity happens."

Nora looked at him carefully. "I want to see it."

Barry hesitated. That was one of his worst memories, because it represented his first real failure as a hero. He hadn't been able to save everyone. "Nora…"

"Please," Nora said.

Barry breathed out low and nodded, and they ran to the day of the Singularity. She'd already seen some of his worst mistakes. She may as well see the first.

"I know what to do," Nora said, as they watched the past version of Barry and Firestorm move into the swirling mess.

"What's that – Nora, wait!"

Barry watched as she raced towards the Singularity, tempted to follow but knowing that, if he did, his past self might see him. So he watched anxiously, actually biting his lip. He saw his past self catch the falling Professor Stein, and scanned the sky for Nora.

He saw her purple and yellow lightning a millisecond later, and ran towards where she seemed to be heading with a mixture of relief and apprehension. She reached street level and went to her knees. Barry froze.

"Nora, what did you-?"

She looked at him steadily. "Made something right."

Ronnie Raymond lay against the building, his eyes closed. Barry knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse, and breathed out low. "He's still alive."

"He needed someone to catch him," Nora said. "I did. And the timeline is still safe."

"How is the timeline still safe? This changes everything!" He didn't want to seem mad, because he was so incredibly proud that she'd found a way to correct one of his biggest regrets – but he knew Ronnie's death had been a critical part of Team Flash's past. It was part of what had allowed Zoom to get so close to them.

"Dad, I already thought of it. The timeline is fine if we bring him back to the present with us. That way, old you thinks he's dead, and everything plays out the same, but he's alive!"

Barry wanted to do a number of things at once, but settled with raking his hand through his hair as he looked from Nora to Ronnie. He couldn't very well run back and prevent her from saving him. He wanted Ronnie to be alive. But would the timeline let him skirt around it so easily…

He sighed. "I don't know if this'll work like you think, but there's no going back now." He leaned down and grabbed Ronnie, supporting his weight. "Let's go back to our time. Well, my time."

Nora seemed fully confident as they started running together. Barry wanted to be as sure of himself as his daughter, but looking at Ronnie, he still felt that mix of shock, apprehension, and uncertainty. His thoughts moved to Caitlin, who would still be in the lab when Barry and Nora got back. What if she saw Ronnie, and it didn't work out?

Barry landed on the floor of the cortex and staggered slightly from Ronnie's weight, but managed not to fall. He lowered Ronnie to the ground, feeling eyes on him as he did. He could sense how still they all were, but he didn't look away from Ronnie until he'd felt for his pulse again. Just to make sure. Ronnie seemed unchanged.

He looked up to see their shocked expressions, all locked on him. Except one. Caitlin was staring at Ronnie.

"What happened?" Cisco asked.

"Nora saved Ronnie from the Singularity," Barry said, standing.

"How did you not -? Oh, actually, I get it," Cisco said.

Nora looked at Barry, smiling. "He's fine, Dad. It worked."

Barry watched Caitlin move to Ronnie's side, practically dropping to the ground next to him. "It's really him," she said.

Ronnie groaned, and Caitlin started. Ronnie's eyes opened slightly. "Cait?" he asked.

Barry let himself start smiling at that, and more so as Caitlin hugged Ronnie and started talking to him.

It would definitely take some explaining and adjusting, but if this was the result, he was glad his daughter had convinced him to time-travel.

 **A/N: So I saw a picture of Ronnie in the promo for the 100th episode, and wanted to write this. I would love it if Ronnie came back. I don't know how likely it is, but this would be one possible way for it to happen, I think.**


	2. Chapter 2

"What's going on? Did we stop it?" Ronnie asked.

He started to sit up, but Caitlin put a hand on his chest. "Slowly," she said in her doctor voice. She let him sit up fully. "Yes, you stopped it."

Ronnie looked at her carefully. "Then why do you seem so upset?"

Barry stepped forward. "Ronnie, there's a lot we need to talk about."

Ronnie looked around. "That sounds bad."

"Not all of it," Cisco said.

Ronnie didn't seem reassured by that statement. Barry didn't blame him. He didn't know how to sugarcoat the truth, though, so he just went out with it. "It's been four years since the Singularity."

"No, we were just there."

"You're not wrong," Ralph muttered.

Ronnie's brow furrowed as he looked at everyone, taking the longest to look at Barry's suit. "This suit -."

"I've had it upgraded a few times," Barry said. He could see it processing in Ronnie's mind.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Iris said.

Ronnie did seem shocked (a perfectly valid reaction), but he seemed more confused than anything. "But why bring me here? Why not leave me back there, so I can get back to you?" He was looking at Caitlin again. Her face had tightened, as if fighting back tears, and Ronnie took a breath through an open mouth. His tone hollowed. "I didn't make it back to you before, did I?"

Caitlin shook her head mutely, tears in her eyes.

"What about Stein?"

"He's gone too," Iris said.

"It's complicated, but this way you get to live," Nora said.

Ronnie looked at Nora. "Who are you?"

Barry hesitated. Iris faltered as well, but said "our daughter," after a few seconds, and gestured between herself and Barry.

Barry swore he could see Ronnie's mind spinning with all the time travel information. "We'll take it slow," he said. "Right now you should just focus on recovering."

"I feel fine," Ronnie insisted.

Caitlin shook her head again, standing. "I'm not taking any chances. I'm giving you a full check-up."

"Cait, you looked at me a few hours ago." Ronnie pressed his lips together as everyone stiffened. "Right."

Caitlin and Cisco led Ronnie to the med-bay. Barry thought Caitlin was about to run every test she could think of. Ralph and Sherloque looked at Barry and Nora expectantly.

"You pulled a guy out of time?" Ralph asked.

Barry let Nora explain, and motioned to Iris to follow him. He walked deeper into the lab, so they had more privacy, and faced Iris with his arms crossed, searching her face. She reached a hand up and cupped his cheek.

"Let me guess. You were happy at first, but now you're having second thoughts."

He nodded, and she brought her other hand up to his face, making him look at her fully. Her words were full of warning.

"Bartholomew Henry Allen, don't you dare feel guilty for saving someone."

"But the timeline -."

"Is fine," she said, in a direct voice. She gentled it, and let her hands fall to his shoulders. "You've kept Ronnie's death on your conscience since the day it happened. It's time to let that go. Things have changed."

He pulled her close with a dry chuckle. "How do you always know what I need to hear?"

"Part of being your wife," she said, and kissed him chastely. "Which also means you need to listen to it. Ronnie's safe now. No more guilty conscience?"

He smiled softly. "No more guilty conscience."

She separated from him. "I can't imagine what Caitlin must be going through right now."

Barry thought about how tense Caitlin had been, just before walking out with Ronnie, and realized she was probably struggling with the suddenness of his return, along with a number of other things. He hoped Cisco was helping her. Of course Ronnie would be too, but Ronnie required help of his own, in learning everything he'd missed.

"I should check on her."

Iris smiled in encouragement, and he left her to go to the med-bay. Ronnie was sitting upright in a bed, wearing an indulgent expression. He looked up at Barry and smiled. "You here to rescue me from testing?"

"Too late. I already started the last one," Caitlin said.

Ronnie chuckled.

"Man, I knew you didn't get ruffled easily, but how are you handling this so well?" Cisco asked.

The smile faded from Ronnie's face, and his tone became more serious. "I don't know."

Barry could see Caitlin standing completely straight, staring at the computer as it ran its tests. At Ronnie's words she seemed to get even straighter, and he walked over to her. "Can we talk for a second?"

"I need to get these results back, and make sure nothing's wrong."

She was definitely fighting back her emotions. Barry looked at the computer. "It'll be a few more minutes before they're done."

She cast a look at Ronnie, who motioned with his head for her to go with Barry. Barry walked into the next room once he was sure she would follow. "Look, I know this was unexpected."

"You think?"

"I didn't plan on it. But Iris helped me realize it's not something to be upset about."

"It's not something to be upset about _now_ , Barry. But what if something goes wrong?"

He didn't understand, and saw a flicker of annoyance in her gaze. It vanished quickly – she wasn't really annoyed, but unsure of how to feel, it seemed.

"I don't know if I want to cry, or scream. If I should be mad at you or thank you, or… Of course I'm glad he's alive, but I don't think I – you have no idea how…" She was struggling to speak clearly enough as she wrestled with as assortment of emotions. That much was painfully clear, and Barry wished he could make it better. She finally looked at Barry and whispered, " _I can't lose him a third time."_

Barry could see the fear in her widened eyes, and hear the choked, wounded quality in her quiet voice. And he believed her. She would break if she lost him again. Maybe in a permanent way.

"I promise you, Cait," he said. "I won't let anything happen to him this time."

She just stared at him for a second, her eyes still wide, and then she nodded, in a tiny, stiff motion. "Test results should be done," Cisco murmured, appearing at Caitlin's side. He put a hand on her arm, gently leading her back into the med-bay. "Figured you'd want to see them right away."

Barry realized Iris had heard their conversation, as she walked up to him once Cisco and Caitlin were out of earshot. "How are you gonna keep that promise, Bar?"

"He sacrificed himself as Firestorm. Stein's gone, which means no more Firestorm."

"You're sure he won't find a way to be Firestorm? Be a hero?"

Barry looked at Iris for a second, and then at Ronnie, through the glass partitioning. He was smiling at Caitlin and Cisco. Caitlin had a small smile as well, prompting Barry to think everything was okay with his test results. Maybe knowing that, she would stop being afraid something would take him away from her again. "He won't be Firestorm if I can help it. But he'll always be a hero."

* * *

 **A/N: So Ronnie didn't make a new appearance in the 100th episode. I'm still a bit bummed by that. I decided to write more in this theory-turned-AU. There was one part in the episode, when Caitlin and Cisco shared a moment thinking of Ronnie. Potential for bringing him up again, later this season (and maybe getting to see him)? Doubtful, but possible. In the meantime, here's an AU where Ronnie is back.**

 **I know I want to do another section with this AU in mind, focusing on Ronnie and Caitlin, but do you want it here, or as a separate story? It will be heavily Snowstorm (because I absolutely love that pairing), so I'm thinking separate story... I also like Barry's last line as an ending. What do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

So I don't usually like doing this, but this chapter isn't as much a chapter as an author's note. I wrote a while ago that I would be writing Snowstorm oneshots. And I have! (I've had so much fun writing them!) But I'm posting them as separate stories from this one. I wanted to make sure you knew they were in the same universe, though. The first one is called "Caught in a Snowstorm (And I Don't Want to Be Free)." The second is called "All of Me." This story focused on bringing Ronnie back. The next stories focus specifically on Ronnie and Caitlin. I hope you read them.


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